Media groups: Macron's press room move could "stain" legacy

PARIS – France's National Union of Journalists has called on President Emmanuel Macron to reconsider a controversial decision to move the press room from inside the presidential palace to a nearby site.

In a statement late Wednesday, the SNJ union said the plan will see journalists "banished" from the Elysee Palace, adding it could put a "stain" on the French president's five-year term.

Macron's advisers announced Wednesday the press room will be moved outside the presidential courtyard for "operational" reasons.

In the 1980s, the SNJ says President Francois Mitterrand located it there in a "willingness to be transparent." Groups including the judicial press association say Macron's move might infringe press freedoms.

The decision comes amid broader efforts by Macron to control his public image.